Why Don't We Live Forever?

ST88 · Post by **ST88** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 3:46 pm

Why don't we live forever?

Further, should the question be framed as metaphysical or scientific?

Post by **otseng** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 3:40 pm

ST88 wrote: But if the universe can never really run out of energy, why then must we?

The universe will never run out of energy, but it will run out of usable energy. At some finite point in time in the future, all energy that exists will be unusable. Entropy will be at its maximum value and work of any kind will not be possible. At that point, the universe will have experienced the heat death and the entire universe will effectively be dead.

ST88 · Post by **ST88** » Fri Aug 06, 2004 6:40 pm

otseng wrote:
ST88 wrote: But if the universe can never really run out of energy, why then must we?
The universe will never run out of energy, but it will run out of usable energy. At some finite point in time in the future, all energy that exists will be unusable. Entropy will be at its maximum value and work of any kind will not be possible. At that point, the universe will have experienced the heat death and the entire universe will effectively be dead.

Before we get back on topic from being way too off-topic (discussing whether or not the universe will be eternally useful to humans), let me just say that there are a number of different theories for the end of the universe. Current cosmological obervations, such as the accelerated pace of galaxies racing away from each other, do not negate an oscillating universe theory or even a partial steady-state theory of existence. But these discussions are irrelevant to the topic. The fact that "heat death" may possibly kill the universe and, by implication, us, does not address the issue of why humans living today will never be able to see this phenomenon.

( This website gives the approximate time of "heat death" at 10EXP10EXP76 years. That is, 10 to the (10 to the 76th) Aside: this number is based on Hawking's black hole theories, which he recently refuted.)

So I repeat the question - not Why won't we live forever, but Why don't we live forever?

Post by **otseng** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:58 am

ST88 wrote: So I repeat the question - not Why won't we live forever, but Why don't we live forever?

Ah, I see. I was taking the word "forever" literally. I was answering the question that even if man could live a long time, it will be bounded by when the universe experiences the heat death.

Let me ask also one other question for clarification. Are you referring to a single human being or the whole race of human beings? That is, why can't a single human live over 10 billion years or why can't the human race exist for over 10 billion years?

ST88 · Post by **ST88** » Sat Aug 07, 2004 2:28 pm

otseng wrote:
ST88 wrote: So I repeat the question - not Why won't we live forever, but Why don't we live forever?
Ah, I see. I was taking the word "forever" literally. I was answering the question that even if man could live a long time, it will be bounded by when the universe experiences the heat death.

Let me ask also one other question for clarification. Are you referring to a single human being or the whole race of human beings? That is, why can't a single human live over 10 billion years or why can't the human race exist for over 10 billion years?

As a race of humans (as a species). We reproduce, we die. The aging process is poorly understood scientifically, and so I am asking for speculation on what is behind it.